Apparatus for making cheese

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for the manufacture of close-knit natural ripened cheese from curd which is in particulate form. A cheese-producing medium is made into curd in accordance with conventional procedures for the particulate type of cheese to be produced. Since later treatment steps do not permit or result in moisture separation, the curd preparation procedure is adjusted to provide curd at a desired and legal moisture level for the cheese which is to be produced. The particulate curd is then transferred to apparatus wherein the curd is transferred and formed into a curd mass without damage to the curd particles. The curd is subjected to vacuum deaeration during the transfer. Thereafter, the curd mass is subjected to a second vacuum deaeration step. The curd mass is then cured to provide natural ripened cheese and the cheese is cut into suitable sized pieces and wrapped or otherwise packaged. As an optional feature, the curd may be subjected to tension loading during the curing step to provide a more closely knit texture.

United States Patent Roberts et al,

APPARATUS FOR MAKING CHEESE Inventors: Miron J. Roberts, Glenview; HeinzF. Runge, Niles, both of I11.

Assignee: Kraftco Corporation, New York,

Filed: Aug. 15, 1973 Appl. No.: 388,548

Related US. Application Data Division of Ser. No. 114,647, Feb. 11,1971, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 768,391, Oct. 17,1968, Pat. No. 3,562,910.

US. Cl. 99/454, 99/472 Int. Cl. A01j 25/12, A230 19/02 Field of Search99/452, 324, 453454,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1905 Southard 99/454 l/l925Schaefer et al. 99/454 9/1969 Robertson et al. 99/454 PrimaryExaminer-R0bert L. Bleutge Assistant Examiner-Arthur 0. HendersonAttorney, Agent, or Firm-Fitch, Even, Tabin & Luedeka [57] ABSTRACTApparatus for the manufacture of close-knit natural ripened cheese fromcurd which is in particulate form. A cheese-producing medium is madeinto curd in accordance with conventional procedures for the particulatetype of cheese to be produced. Since later treatment steps do not permitor result in moisture separation, the curd preparation procedure isadjusted to provide curd at a desired and legal moisture level for thecheese which is to be produced. The particulate curd is then transferredto apparatus wherein the curd is transferred and formed into a curd masswithout damage to the curd particles. The curd is subjected to vacuumdeaeration during the transfer. Thereafter, the curd mass is subjectedto a second vacuum deaeration step. The curd mass is then cured] toprovide natural ripened cheese and the cheese is cut into suitable sizedpieces and wrapped or otherwise packaged. As an optional feature, thecurd may be subjected to tension loading during the curing step toprovide a more closely knit texture.

6 Claims, 15 Drawing Figures PAIENTE JAN 1 4197s FlGl CUBD REPEQAmouNHEY QEPCEATIOM cues me,

comma SAL? sum 10F 11 I VACUUM DF-AKEAHON VACUUM PATENTEDJAN 1 4 msSHEET NF 4 FIGB APPARATUS FOR MAKING CHEESE The present invention is aDivision of co-pending application Ser. No. 114,647, filed Feb. 11,1971, which in turn is a continuation-in-part of co-pending applicationSer. No. 768,391, filed Oct. 17, 1968, which has now issued as U.S.Letters Pat. No. 3,562,910.

The present invention relates generally to the manufacture of naturalcheese, and more particularly, it relates to the continuous manufactureof natural cheese having a close texture from particulate cheese curd.

Cheeses may be classified or characterized as natural or processed.Natural cheese may be considered as any cheese made directly from anaturally occurring media, such as cows milk or sheeps milk. Processedcheese may be made by comminuting natural cheese and then heating itwith other materials to provide a product.

Natural cheese may be ripened or unripened. For the purpose of thepresent invention, ripened cheese refers to any natural cheese which iscured during storage by either internal or external organisms. Examplesof ripened cheese are Cheddar cheese and brick cheese. Unripened cheeserefers to any natural cheese which is made and used without undergoingripening, as for example, cottage cheese or cream cheese.

Natural, ripened cheese may be further characterized by the relativecloseness of the texture and appearance of the cheese. In themanufacture of certain cheeses, such as Cheddar, it is desirable thatthe cheese be of close texture, i.e., be smooth and continuous withoutnoticeable void or open spaces. Other cheeses, such as Colby, have atexture and appearance that is more open, i.e., with some void or openspaces.

The present invention is directed to an improved process for preparingripened natural cheese including, but not limited to, the followingvarieties of cheese: Cheddar, Colby, brick, Gouda, Swiss, Edam, Montereyand Jack cheese. The method of the invention is particularly suitablefor the production of cheese with a close texture and appearance.

In general, most natural cheesemaking operations include the steps ofproviding a cheesemaking medium, inoculating the medium with anacid-producing microorganism, and forming a coagulum. The coagulum iscut to provide curd and whey, whereupon the curd is separated from thewhey and subsequently the whey is drained from the curd. The curd isthen salted. The curd is pressed and then packed into a suitable formand, upon ripening, becomes a natural cheese. Variations in one or moreof the above steps for producing cheese result in production of themanyvarieties of natural cheese which are known.

The present invention is particularly directed to a system, apparatusand means for handling particulate curd after whey has been separatedtherefrom, so as to provide the curd in a particular condition forsubsequent curing. The curd mass is thereafter cured in accordance withknown procedure for the particular type of cheese to be produced. Thepresent invention is an improvement of the method for handlingparticulate curd disclosed in a co-pending application to Heinz F. Rungeand Miron J. Roberts, filed Oct. 17, 1968, now U.S. Letters Pat. No.3,562,910. The present invention is directed to providing an improvedmethod for handling cheese curd which is to be made into natural ripenedcheese so as to provide the cheese with a more close-knit texture andappearance. The method and apparatus of the invention are adapted tocontinuous manufacture of cheese.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide anapparatus for the manufacture of natural ripened cheese with a closeknit texture and appearance. It is another object of the presentinvention to provide an apparatus for handling cheese curd which is tobe made into close-knit, natural ripened cheese with out destroying curdidentity prior to curing. It is a still further object of the presentinvention to provide an apparatus for providing particulate curd in theform of a chesse mass which may be cured to provide a closeknit, naturalripened cheese.

These and other objects of the invention will become more clear from thefolowing detailed disclosure and from the accompanying drawings,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a process showing 20 various steps of theinvention;

FIGS. 24 are schematic views of apparatus showing various positions ofthe apparatus and various features of the invention for transferring andforming curd in a container;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of vacuum deaeration apparatus showingvarious features of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a further step and apparatus showing ameans for closing the curd container;

FIGS. 7-10 are partial schematic views of apparatus similar to FIGS. 2 6showing the use of a container sleeve;

FIGS. 11-12 are enlarged cross-sectional views of the top and bottomportions of the container sleeve of FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged top elevation view of a portion of the transferapparatus of the invention;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view, partially broken away, of the apparatusof FIG. 13; and

FIG. 15 is a sectional view taken along the lines 15, 15 of FIG. 14.

Generally, as shown in FIG. 1, the invention relates to the manufactureof close-knit, natural ripened cheese from curd which is in particulateform. A cheese-producing medium, such as cows milk, is used for purposesof description of the process. In the curd preparation step, designatedby numeral 11, the medium is treated in accordance with conventionalprocedures for the particular type of cheese to be produced so as toprovide curd and whey. In making the curd, the cheesemaker usesconditions to achieve the desired moisture level in the curd after wheyis removed. The next step is whey separation, shown at numeral 12,wherein the whey is separated from the curd, providing a moisture in thecurd which is that desired in the tinished cheese. Since later treatmentsteps do not permit or result in moisture separation, the curdpreparation or make procedure must be adjusted to provide curd at adesired and legal moisture level for the cheese which is to be produced.If salt is required for the cheese, the salt is then added at the leveldesired in the finished cheese and is stirred into the particulate curd.The salt may be added dry, or may be added as a brine, depending uponthe type of cheese to be produced.

The particulate curd is then transferred by apparatus of the inventionas indicated at numeral 13. The curd is subjected to a first vacuumdeaeration during the transfer of the curd. The particulate curd isformed into a curd mass, as indicated by numeral 14, without damage tothe curd particles. The mass is next subjected to mass is cured inaccordance with conventional procedures for the type of cheese beingproduced, so as to cure the cheese and develop the desired flavor in thecheese. The cheese is then cut into suitable-sized pieces and wrapped orotherwise packaged in a cutting step, designated by numeral 17. As shownin FIG. 1, the curd mass which has been treated by vacuum deaeration maybe subjected to a further optional step prior to curing, which furtherstep is described as tension loading, which is designated by numeral 18.Tension packing will be described in more detail hereinbelow.

To more particularly describe the invention, it may be adapted to themanufacture of cheese from any suitable medium which provides curd. Theapparatus may be used for treating curd prepared from cows milk, sheepsmilk, goats milk, soy milk, filled milk and imitation milk. Details ofsetting the cheese producing medium to provide a coagulum, cutting thecoagulum to provide curd and'whey, stirring the curd and whey, cookingthe curd, draining the whey from the curd, forming the curd into a curdmass and curing the curd mass to providenatural, ripened cheese may bevaried to produce characteristics and qualities distinctive to theparticular kind of cheese to be produced. As earlier pointed out, thecheesemaker will make variations in make procedure to provide thedesired or necessary moisture in the finished product.

As shown in FIG. 2, apparatus of the invention for transferring theparticulate curd and forming the curd into a curd mass includes a hopper19,fr receiving the particulate cheese curd. The hopper 19 feeds a curdtransfer device 21 adjacent thereto. The curd transfer device 21includes a pair of co-acting helical cams 23 and 25 and a close-fittinghousing 27 therefor. The housing 27 is provided with an opening 29through which vacuum may be established within the housing. The curdtransfer device is of particular importance to the present invention,and functions to transfer the curd without damage to the curd particles.The device does not plow through the curd, and the edges of the cams 23and 25, in their operation, do not cut the particles as normally occurswith a screw conveyor. The curd transfer device 21 functions to carrythe curd as distinguished from putting the curd under positive pressureand thereby minimizes damage to the curd. Any pressure developed in thecurd transfer device is by way of back pressure at the outlet end andnot by means of the pair of helical cams. The distinction between thefunction and operation of the helical cams and the operationalcharacteristics of a screw conveyor are to be particularly noted inconnection with the invention.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, a curd forming tube 31 is provided at theoutlet end of the curd transfer device 21. The forming tube functions topartially compress the particulate curd into a curd mass by frictionalforces encountered within the forming tube and to direct the partiallycompressed curd mass to a container 33 which is .placed over the outletend of the forming tube 31. A restraining plate 41 is provided toestablish a back pressure on the container 33 as it is being filled withcurd. The restraining plate 41 is controlled by hydraulic cylinder 37and piston 39. The container 33 is preferably a flexible bag and variousfeatures of the invention will hereafter be described with reference tothe use ofa flexible bag as the container. However, the use of rigidcontainers, such as cardboard or metal tubes, is also contemplated.

As previously indicated, the system may he used to produce variousnatural, ripened cheeses where a closeknit texture is desired. However,the invention for preparing a close-knit, cohesive cheese mass fromparticulate cheese curd may best be understood by reference to themanufacture of a particular type of cheese. Accordingly, various of thefeatures of the invention will hereinafter be described with particularreference to producing Cheddar cheese. However, it should be understoodthat the scope of the invention is broader than the description of themanufacture of this particular cheese.

Cheddar cheese may be made by the method of the present invention fromraw, heat treated, but unpasteurized, or pasteurized milk. The milk maybe provided from any suitable animal, such as cows, sheep or goats. Themilk is brought to the setting temperature of about 88F and istransferred to a cheese vat. A starter culture is added, and the milk isstirred for about one hour as the milk develops acidity. Rennet is thenmixed in thoroughly and stirring is stopped. A coagulum is formedusually about 30 minutes after adding of the rennet and the coagulum iscut with curd knives to provide curd and whey. The curd is stirredcontinuously in the whey from the time of cutting until the whey isdrained from the curd. About 15 minutes after the cutting is completed,the curd is gradually cooked by heating the curd over about 30 minutesto a temperature of about F. The curd is held at the elevatedtemperature for about 60 minutes.

The whey is then drained from the curd and the curd is dry-stirred for aperiod of from about 30 minutes to about 60 minutes or until the desiredmoisture has been reached. The moisture should not be over 43.5 percent.The temperature of the curd is maintained at about 100F during the drystirring period by regulating water temperature in the jacket of thedrain table. When the moisture is below 40 percent, salt is added toprovide a desired level of salt in the finished cheese. The salt isadded at a level sufficient to provide a salt content of about 1.7percent in the finished cheese. The curd is stirred for an additional 10minutes after all the salt is added. The moisture of the curd is thenfrom between about 38 percent and 39 percent and has a pH of from about5.3 to about 5.35. The curd is then transferred to the hopper 19 of thecurd mass forming apparatus. The make procedure varies from the usualmake procedure for Cheddar cheese in that the curd has the finalmoisture content of the cheese and no pressing or hooping of the curd isutilized. Furthermore, the subsequent processing, in accordance with theinvention, does not apply sufficient pressure to the curd to cause it toexude moisture. The provision of a dry curd having the desired level ofmoisture in the finished cheese can be provided within the skill of theart for various types of cheese by adjusting various of the cheesemakingsteps to provide such curd.

As indicated, the curd, in the form of small pieces, is then transferredto the hopper 19. The curd drops from the bottom of the hopper 19 intopockets which are formed by the earns 23 and 25, and the housing 27, aswill be explained in further detail hereinafter. Curd is transferredfrom the outlet of the hopper 19 in the curd transfer device 21 to theinlet of the curd forming tube 31 by means of the cams. The curd ispartially deaerated by vacuum during its passage from the hopper to theforming tube in the curd transfer device. Such deaeration isadvantageous to obtain proper curd feeding and transfer. As theparticulate curd is forced into the forming tube 31, resistance isestablished by friction between the curd and the walls of the tube. Theresistance acts to partially compress the curd within the tube and toaid in forming the curd into a cohesive cheese mass. As the partiallycompressed curd exits from forming tube 31, it begins to fill thecontainer 33.

As indicated, the container 33 is preferably a flexible plastic tubewhich is sealed at one end by means of a wire clip 34 or other suitableclosure device. A con' stant back pressure is maintained on thecontainer 33 by means of the restraining plate 41, which is controlledby the hydraulic cylinder 37 and the piston 39. The back pressure iscontrolled so as to provide even loading of the container 33 under aconstant back pressure. It is generally desirable to maintain a backpressure of from about 5 psi to about 50 psi on the container 33 as itis being filled.

As shown in FIG. 5, after the container 33 is filled with cheese curd,the container is removed to a vacuum chamber 43. The top of thecontainer is kept open when the container is placed within thevacuum'chamher. A vacuum is then established within the vacuum chamber43 through conduit 45 which is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown).

It is generally desirable that vacuum deaeration of the curd within thecontainer 33 be accomplished as soon after the curd is loaded into thecontainer as possible. To accomplish satisfactory deaeration of the curdso as to establish a close-knit texture, the curd should be at atemperature of between about 70F and 100F during the vacuum deaerationstep. It is preferred that the curd temperature be within the range offrom about 75F to about 95F during the vacuum deaeration step. Thelonger the curd is permitted to remain in the container 33 the more thecurd is cooled and the less effective the vacuum deaeration becomes. Ingeneral, vacuum deaeration should be accomplished within a period of nomore than about two hours from the time that the container 33 is loadedwith curd, unless the curd is maintained in a heated room having atemperature within the desired range. However, vacuum deaeration is lesseffective regardless of the temperature of the curd, if the vacuumdeaeration is accomplished more than about three hours from the timethat the container is loaded with curd. The effectiveness of vacuumdeaeration to provide a close-knit texture is diminished if the curd ispermitted to cool below the above indicated range and is thensubsequently warmed to a temperature within the range. However, someimprovement in texture and closeness of knit is attained when vacuumdeaeration is performed at a subsequent time so long as the curd iswarmed to a temperature within the indicated range prior to effectingvacuum deaeration. In general, a vacuum of from about inches of mercuryto about 29 inches of mercury for a period of about 30 minutes to about120 minutes is sufficient to provide suitable vacuum deaeration inaccordance with the invention. Higher and lower vacuum conditions may beused with a corresponding adjustment in the time required to accomplishvacuum deaeration.

After the curd within container 33 is subjected to vacuum deaeration,the curd is stored for a sufficient period of time at a suitabletemperature to effect curing of the curd. In this connection, curing isusually of fected for a period of at least about one month at atemperatureof from about 40F to about 50F. The resulting cured Cheddarcheese product has an acceptable, close-knit texture and appearance.

In accordance with known cheese make procedures, the curd must beprotected from exposure to oxygen from the air or other source duringthe curing period. In this connection, the curing may be effected in aninert atmosphere which is established in the curing room. A preferredmethod for protecting the curd is to close the container 33 in which thecurd has been packed. When a flexible receiving bag is used as thecontainer, the top of the bag may be closed with a wire clip 34a orother closing device, as shown in FIG. 6.

If a still more closely-knit texture and appearance is desired in thefinished cheese product, the cheese may be packed and stored undercompressive tension. To effect compressive tension, a container 33, suchas a flexible receiving bag, is placed into a sleeve 35. The particulatecheese curd may be first extruded into the bag and the bag inserted intothe sleeve 35. A preferred means for placing the bag into the sleeve 35is to place the sleeve 35 over the bag while the bag is over the formingtube 31, as shown in FIG. 7. Thereafter, as the particulate cheese curdis forced from the forming tube 31 into the bag, the bag expands to fillthe space within the sleeve 35. This provides a cheese mass with auniform cross-section within the sleeve 35. As shown in FIG. 11, thesleeve 35 has an end seal 56, with an orifice located therein foraccepting the closed end of the bag.

After a cheese mass is formed within the bag and the bag is placedwithinthe sleeve 35, the cheese mass is subjected to vacuum deaeration invacuum chamber 43 under the conditions previously described. Aftervacuum deaeration, the open end of the bag is sealed with a suitablesealing means, such as the wire clip 34a. Thereafter, a spring seatingdisk 47 is placed over the end of the bag as shown in FIG. 9. A spring49 is placed into contact with the spring seating disk 47, and an endseal 51 is forced onto the spring 49 so as to compress the spring withinthe sleeve 35. The end seal 51 locks into place in the end of sleeve 35and holds spring 49 in tension. Spring 49 exerts a compressive force onspring seating disk 47, which in turn exerts a compressive force on thecurd mass in the bag. The spring 49 is selected to exert a forcesufficient to establish a pressure on the curd mass of from about 0.25to about 5 psi. Higher pressures may be used but no appreciableimprovement in texture and knit is obtained. The end seal 51 is urgedinto place in sleeve 35 by means of hydraulic cylinder 52 and piston 53.

After placing end seal 51, spring 49 and spring seating disk 47 in placein sleeve 35, the sleeve 35 is then stored under suitable conditions forcuring the cheese mass. At the end of the curing period, a close-knitcheese product is obtained with almost no void space. The product isjudged to be of superior quality with respect to texture and appearance.

The curd transfer device 21 for moving the curd particles from thehopper 19 to forming tube 31 is best seen in FIGS. 13, 14 and 15. Thedevice comprises earns 23 and 25 and housing 27. A feeding port 45 islocated in the housing for receiving the curd from the hopper 19 andproviding the curd to the cam. A further opening 63 is located in thehousing. The opening 63 is used to communicate with a vacuum source andthereby establish vacuum within the housing whereby the curd ispartially deaerated during transfer. The pair of cams 23 and 25 havespiral grooves 65 and lands 67, each of which is generally rectangularin cross-section. Lands and grooves of each cam, as shown in thedrawings, are generally square-cut, and are machined to mate with thecorresponding lands and grooves of the other cam. In operation, theinterlocking nature of the pair of cams works in effect to establish aseries of continuously forwardly moving pockets which accept cheese curdfrom the hopper l9 and deliver the curd to the entrance of the formingtube 31. The curd is not pushed or particularly squeezed in its movementthrough the curd transfer device. The pocket walls are bounded by thesides of two successive lands 67. The bottom of the pocket isestablished by the bottom of the cam shaft 69 and the top of the pocketis established by the housing 27. The pocket is also bounded by the faceof the lands of the other cam.

Cams 23 and 25 are driven by motor means (not shown) which is connectedto the shafts 71 and 73. As the cams are turned in the directionindicated in FIG. 15, each pocket is continuously defined by differentportions of the lands and grooves of earns 23 and 25 and housing 27. Theappearance from the feed port 45 is of aseries of continuously movingpockets, and the curd particles move in the pocket, but are not caughtbetween the grooves and lands of the respective cams.

Curd is deposited in a pocket as it moves beneath the feeding port 61located beneath the hopper 19. The pocket is generally C-shaped and maynot be packed full of curd. As the pocket moves forward from beneath thefeeding port 61, the curd within the pocket is isolated from the curdwithin other pockets and is not crushed, mashed or broken. Curd identityis retained until forming of the curd into a cheese mass is effected inthe forming tube 31. This handling of curd by the curd transfer device21 is to be distinguished from prior art single screw auger feedingsystems. With a single screw auger, the flights of the auger cut throughthe curd and move the curd by pressure. Such action compresses and cutsthe curd, destroying curd identity. A single or double screw auger hasnot been found suitable for the practice of the present invention.

As previously indicated, the curd is partially deaerated before beingcompressed within the forming tube 31 to form a cheese mass, and isagain vacuum deaerated after being formed into a cheese mass within thecontainer 33. Deaeration is considered an important step in the methodof the invention. Deaeration in the method of the invention facilitatesfeeding of the curd to the curd transfer device, serves to remove airfrom between the curd particles before the curd particles are placedinto container 33, and further compresses the curd particles within thecontainer 33 to provide a closely knit texture. As shown in FIG. 2,deaeration within the curd transfer device 21 is effected by connectingthe housing 27 to a vacuum source (not shown) by means of pipe 29located rearwardly of the feed hopper 19. Thus, vacuum is establishedwithin the housing 27 during transfer of the curd within curd transferdevice 21. This vacuum is particularly advantageous for achieving properfilling of the pockets with curd, although it also functions topartially deaerate the curd. Generally, a vacuum greater than about l5inches of mercury is sufficient to effect deaeration of the curd.However, a vacuum of greater than about 20 inches of mercury and up toabout 28 inches of mercury is sometimes required to achieve properfilling of the pockets. Deaeration of the curd after filling intoflexible receiving bag 33 is achieved within vacuum chamber 43 aspreviously described.

The above-described embodiment of the invention is suitable forcontinuous curd handling, and a considerable saving is effected overprior art methods for making closely knit cheese. Obviously, theinvention is particularly applicable to the production of any cheese ofround configuration; however, other configurations, such as oval orrectangular, can also be provided.

The various features of the invention which are believed to be new areset forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A system for forming cheese curd into a curd mass to be made intonatural type cheese comprising means for holding cheese curd particleshaving the moisture level of finished cheese, means for forming saidcurd particles into a curd mass of desired shape, transfer meansproviding a series of separate, continuously, forwardly moving pocketsfor'accepting units of curd particles from said holding means and fortransferring said units of curd particles to said forming means, firstvacuum means for establishing a vacuum within said transfer means andsecond vacuum means for establishing a vacuum on said curd mass after itis formed.

2. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said forming meanscomprises at least one tube for receiving curd particles from saidtransfer means and a container for receiving curd particles from saidtube, said tube being open at the end outermost from said transfer meansso as to permit said curd particles to pass therethrough and into saidcontainer.

3. A system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said forming meansfurther comprises back pressure means for establishing a back pressureon said container as it is being filled with said curd particles.

4. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said transfer meanscomprises a pair of intermeshing helical cams.

5. A system in accordance with claim 2 which further comprises means forestablishing sustained compressive tension on said curd in saidcontainer.

6. A system in accordance with claim 5 wherein said compressive tensionmeans comprises a sleeve for receiving said ,container with said curdmass, a spring, and retaining means for holding said spring incompression within said sleeve, said spring being positioned on saidcontainer within said sleeve and under compression intermediate saidretaining means and said container so as to exert compressive tension onsaid container with said curd mass.

1. A system for forming cheese curd into a curd mass to be made intonatural type cheese comprising means for holding cheese curd particleshaving the moisture level of finished cheese, means for forming saidcurd particles into a curd mass of desired shape, transfer meansproviding a series of separate, continuously, forwardly moving pocketsfor accepting units of curd particles from said holding means and fortransferring said units of curd particles to said forming means, firstvacuum means for estaBlishing a vacuum within said transfer means andsecond vacuum means for establishing a vacuum on said curd mass after itis formed.
 2. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said formingmeans comprises at least one tube for receiving curd particles from saidtransfer means and a container for receiving curd particles from saidtube, said tube being open at the end outermost from said transfer meansso as to permit said curd particles to pass therethrough and into saidcontainer.
 3. A system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said formingmeans further comprises back pressure means for establishing a backpressure on said container as it is being filled with said curdparticles.
 4. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said transfermeans comprises a pair of intermeshing helical cams.
 5. A system inaccordance with claim 2 which further comprises means for establishingsustained compressive tension on said curd in said container.
 6. Asystem in accordance with claim 5 wherein said compressive tension meanscomprises a sleeve for receiving said container with said curd mass, aspring, and retaining means for holding said spring in compressionwithin said sleeve, said spring being positioned on said containerwithin said sleeve and under compression intermediate said retainingmeans and said container so as to exert compressive tension on saidcontainer with said curd mass.